The latest Klamath Falls News around the Klamath Basin from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM/102.5FM, BasinLife.com and The Herald & News.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Klamath Basin Weather
Monday, Columbus Day
Sunny, with a high near 65. Overnight low around 37.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.
Wednesday
A 20 percent chance of rain during the day. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. 50% chance of rain, with a low of 37.
Thursday
A slight chance of showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Friday
Partly sunny, with a high near 52.
Saturday
A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 49.
Today’s Headlines…
The air quality advisory until noon today is Green.
Klamath County Commissioner Donnie Boyd filed for reelection Friday to the board he has chaired this term.
In a press released from Boyd’s campaign, he said, “It has been an honor to serve as Klamath County Commissioner. I am proud of all we have accomplished by working together. But more work lies ahead to rebuild the economy and improve the quality of life for all residents of Klamath County. I would be privileged to serve the people of Klamath County for a second term as county commissioner.”
According to the press release, Boyd is credited with being central to getting Holiday Market to downtown Klamath Falls, working to reduce the number of foreclosed properties the county owned from 900 to 100, working to reduce the number of blighted properties in Klamath Falls, helping to bring Fairfield Inn and Suites to downtown and reworking Klamath County Animal Control to be self-funding.
Boyd has two challengers for his seat in Kassandra Harding and Kenneth DeCrans in the primary election May 19th.
County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot is also running for reelection and currently has no opposition.
Work continues on the City’s Geothermal Mainline Replacement Project located in the alley between Klamath Avenue and Walnut Avenue.
This week crews will be working in the block between 4th Street and 5th Street and in 4th Street between Klamath Avenue and Walnut Avenue. Motorists can expect short delays as both the alley and a portion of 4th Street will be closed to traffic during construction activities.
The Klamath County Museum will offer free admission on Thursday, Oct. 17, in celebration of Klamath County’s birthday.
Klamath County was established as a new Oregon county on October 17, 1882, having been partitioned from Lake County. A special art exhibit at the museum this month features “Fiberglyph” works of felted wool and paintings by Elizabeth Hubbard of Bonanza. The museum will be open regular hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Thursday.
Around the region….
Near Buttle Falls, Oregon, reinforcements have arrived from regional search and rescue (SAR) organizations to assist in the search for a missing woman with dementia. Geraldine “Gerry” Hendricks, 80, was reported missing from her home on Saturday evening.
On October 12, 2019, at 6:44 p.m., dispatch received a call from Hendricks’ family in the 4400-block of Obenchain Road. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies and search and rescue personnel responded to initiate the search.
SAR personnel, including canine teams, searched through the night, but were hampered by darkness and terrain. Additional resources were deployed at daylight Sunday, ramping up the search effort.
Hendricks is described as 5’2”, 100 lbs., with short dark gray hair. She was last seen wearing a pink flannel long sleeve pajama set.
SAR officials believe Hendricks left her home on foot sometime after 6:15 p.m. Saturday. They would like to hear from anyone who may have seen her walking or given her a ride. Anyone with information can call dispatch at (541) 776-7206.
SAR officials thank everyone who has offered to respond to the area and help search; however, they ask people to stay clear of the area at this time so search teams can be managed effectively. If a need for additional searchers does arise, SAR officials will make a public request.
Assisting agencies include those that make up the California-Oregon Regional Search and Rescue (CORSAR) group, as well as the Oregon State Police. Air resources have also been dispatched to assist.
No further information is available for release at this time.
For the first time since 2009, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is planning to utilize helicopters in a prescribed burning operation, via helitorching.
Often referred to as “aerial ignitions,” helicopters can be used in areas where topography and conditions pose tactical or safety challenges to ground crews. This particular unit will utilize the helitorching method, which is essentially a large drip torch that is slung from the underside of a helicopter and is well-suited for the sort of terrain and fuel types in the prescription unit. The 350-acre unit is located next to Applegate Lake, on the northeast side of the lake and north of Latgawa Cove campground.
Hand ignition began Saturday, with crews working on the edges of the unit to prepare it for aerial operations. The helicopter will be assisting crews on through reconnaissance efforts and supply transport, and will transition to ignition operations today. The RRSNF has approximately 60 personnel committed to the burn, including firefighters from the neighboring Bureau of Land Management’s Medford District.
Around the state…
Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Senator Greg Walden and Maj. Gen. Michael E. Stencel, the Adjutant General, Oregon, spoke at two separate mobilization ceremonies on Sunday, honoring units from the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team as they prepare for overseas assignments.
The first ceremony was at 10 a.m. at Southern Oregon University’s Raider Stadium in Ashland, Oregon, for Citizen-Soldiers from 1-186th Infantry Battalion and the 141st Brigade Support Battalion, as they prepare to depart to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
The second ceremony was at 3:30 p.m. at St. Helens High School, Oregon, for Soldiers from Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion and the 141st Brigade Support Battalion, as they depart for the Middle East.
The two units are part of several deployments that the 41st IBCT are sending to different areas of the world. In total, the 41st is scheduled to deploy more than 1,600 Oregon service members to five different countries: Djibouti, Jordan, Kosovo, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
“These ceremonies offer an opportunity for our communities to show support for not only our service members, but also for our families and employers,” said Col. Eric J. Riley, Commander of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, “we are proud to represent Oregon and the Oregon Army National Guard as we mobilize for overseas missions.”
A jury has awarded an Oregon man more than $50,000 after he was shoved, pepper-sprayed and arrested by county deputies dealing with hundreds of protesters.
The jury found Multnomah County sheriff’s deputies committed a battery and used more force than was reasonably necessary in their November 2016 arrest of then-27-year-old Jordan Johnson. Jurors awarded Johnson $50,000 in noneconomic damages. Johnson was on his commute home from work and was not participating in the protest stemming from the presidential election a few days earlier, he said. Johnson was released from custody more than 12 hours after his arrest when the district attorney’s office decided not to pursue criminal charges.
Deputies were helping Portland police arrest 71 people, including some who were throwing glass bottles or road flares and vandalizing property, authorities said.
A Portland activist is dead after a vehicle hit him as he was leaving a known left-wing establishment.
Police say a SUV crashed into a commercial building and then gunshots were fired at the vehicle. Police say 23 year old Sean Kealiher’s friends took him to a hospital after the early Saturday crash in the Kerns neighborhood. Police are investigating the events that led to his death.
Police say a medical examiner conducted an autopsy and determined Kealiher’s death was a homicide from blunt-force trauma.
…For complete details on these and other stories see today’s Herald & News. Wynne Broadcasting and the Herald and News…stronger together to keep you informed.